Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-06-18
PROPOSED INCREASE
WATER RATES.
Reasons Why the Increase In Not
Justified.
s0Hg PERTINENT STATISTICS AND POINTED m.
QUIRIES.

allowed to go to the public unanswered II you
| Will allow me space think will be able to show
that Capt. Symons Is mistaken in much that he
has stated on this question
admit that Capt. Symons is right when he says
chat the powers OF the old corporations of Wash
ington and Georgetown over the distribution OF
potomac water and the fixing Of rates have been
transferred to the District Commissioners The
| comforting OF such monstrous power upon three
men, appointed by President the people are not
alioWed 10 vote for, to tax without their consent
Lne water that 100000 people drink shows how
careless Congress be while legislatng for this
nosssr !, d But, granting that they have such
| TO use 1t to prosecute the people or to oratify
their personal whimS
WATER RENTS
Flrst With regard to water rents Capt. Symons
says:
that the income derived from this source
hAs v @ to the
made OF the nadequacy Of the water supply The in
iutey without projection from fire Ny object
cannot be done n Without
capt: Symons overooks the fact that the law
funds [See We6b's Digest, o. 4O5.l AS there are
no longer any ward funds, it naturally follows
1aa fnd should be paid for out Of the gene
consumers OF water in one section OF the city to
pay Tor fre plugs for the benet OF property owners
anu insurance companies in another section OF the
City, City, There Is re-plug tax that seems to have
been overlooked by our rulers. (See Act OF Con-
gress, March 8. 1881 This act requires that all
houses into which Potomac water has not been I'm.
PRODUCED, and which are situated within 500 feet
OF IRE plug shall pay an annual nre-plug tax OF
not less than 81 nor more than IS.
Capt. SymOnS gives as another reason for in.
cfeaSng water rates that the receipts OF the water
department are ''ess than the Congressional ap-
Would to Be us5sd IN inc
creasing tine water rates. All good citizens viii
cOncede that they should have money enough to
l have several reports before me which prove
That as the number OF water-takerS increases the
receipts I grow less. The receipts from July l,
1879 10 June 30, 1880, for water rents were $l65.
6S3.37. tSee Report Of Water Register COX, D. 22s;
commissioners Report for 1879 and 1851 The
go 1856 were [see last Report, p. 1881 sl24 96s lS
Excess for water rents1n 1880 1885, $40 715 19
-, This Is Official. How does Capt. Symons explain
this great falling off in receipts when, according
to the number OF new taps made every year, the
receipts should increase at the rate OF S. 600 to
$4,000 per year. Last year the captain informed
US that the receipts from taps were rs oeO. This
would Indicate that 1896 new subscriptions for
water were made last year, which should add
last year alone, not to mention the increase during
the other i've years, since 1880, and yet the
Olnclai reports snow that the receipts from water
rents last year were $40, 715.19 less than seven
years ago.
These reports prove one of four things Either
that Water Register Cox or Capt Symons made a
mistake or else large number OF people are pay
ing no water rent, or there is a heavy defalca-
ton in the water office.
In that Office, which, for reasons best known to the
parties concerned has been kept smothered from
the puonc. The deficiency has been stated all the
way from $4,000 to $4,000. But this occurred
before the reign OF the present dynasty.
what the people would like to see is balance
sheet of this department, which they have not
seen for seventeen years The law REQUIRES not
only detailed statement, showing the exact
financial condition OF the water department each
mi ycto
you VIII consult the flies VI THE STAR you viii see
was made regularly up to 1871. The Law also
requires that the accounts OF the Office shall be
AUDITED iu every SIX mouths Had the law been COM
pied with the present condition OF things. am
satisfied, would not exist.
WATER TAXES.
With regard to the proposed increase In the tax
Tor laying water mains, Capt. Symons says:
There is also another matter to which called the
Commissoners attention in my last annual report
mean that the should be Increased from
~ to y cents square foot Why! For the reason
simpiy that nowadays We are putting down larger
days when that rate OF = cent fixed, the pipes
at the present time they much larger "
Here again Capt. Symons is mistaken. The rate
Sin the old days That he speaks OF was not /centS
increase to IL cents was that the board OF pubic
works thought It would be better to Law a 4inch
main on each side OF the street rather than 6nch
main In the center OF the As 1t costs more to
lay two finch mains than one 6-inch main there
seemed to be an excuse for increasing the Il.
buC tue present. ConnlSSlOnerS as Is shown by
their last report, have returned TO the Old way OF
laying one pipe In the center OF the street. Out
OF A 544 feet OF water main laid last wear Al SI5
was small pipe, inches and less, and nearly all
OF 1t was laid in the center Of the street. There
was never foot OF pipe laid less than inches
until last year. Their report shows that they laid
g. 693 feet OF 3inch main last year. so that instead
OF laying larger pipe than formerly their report
shows that they are laying smaller pipe than was
ever laid before and their contract given out the
past week, for the coming year, shows that they
are going TO continue the practice.
The Old tax OF Seven-eighths OF cent per square
foot was fixed by Mr.. Randolph COyle one OF the
ablest engineers OF his tine who was the organi-
Zer OF the water department OF Washington and
Its first registrar. That tax was assessed after
much experimenting, as being the actual cost of
streets, in compliance with an ordinance of the
corporation, and an act OF Congress which reads
as follows: "The rates levied shall never be a
source OF revenue, other than as means of keep
Ing up to the said cities supply OF water"
remember or being seated in a room one even.
ing seventeen years ago, in company with Mr. Jno
w. Thompson, Mr.. crosby S. Noyes, Mr. JnO 81.
SemmeS and Mr.. Geo. w. Linville the gentlemen
Thompson had doubts about Seven-eighths OF a
cent being Sufncient TO pay the cost OF laying g.
inch mains. We Inquired The cost OF several 6-inch
mains In different parts OF the city, and found
corporation. We were then paying $7S per ton for
pipe and l66 cents per linear FOOT for laying the
same. Pipe to-day can be bought for less than
hall the price we then paid. Indeed, the Commits
the past week at less than half the price paid sew
enteen years ago, when the assessments were only
Seven-eishthS OF cent per square foot. have be.
fore me their award to the Camden Iron Co. to
wit:
900 feet 12nch main. SIC, 800 90
1879 =. =. :, .................. 1890
1o'Ooo .................. 2,311.75